Uncanny

VILLAGE VOICE has more excerpts from a late May interview with Brian Wilson that served as the basis for a cover story.

You've talked about listening to "Rhapsody in Blue" as a child, and last year you released your album of Gershwin standards. What is it about Gershwin's music that has proven so impactful throughout your life?

Well, his harmonies I like a lot. I learned a lot about music from him.

What specifically in the harmonies is so resonant with you?

His violins.

Your love of Gershwin certainly answers the question from "When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)": "Will I dig the same things that turned me on as a kid?" What else from your childhood do you still love today?

Chuck Berry. Phil Spector.

For your Gershwin album, you were allowed to access Gershwin's estate and select two unfinished piano pieces. How did you choose the ones you did, and how did you approach finishing them?

We found the harmonies—the ones that had the best harmonies. We put the melodies to the harmonies.

How did that writing process feel to you?

Good, it was good. I was nervous.

You told the Evening Standard earlier this month that you may retire from touring next year. Are you still considering that?

Yeah, I probably will, yeah. I dunno, I'm just getting older. If it feels good, I'll probably keep going for another two or three years, you know?

Have you had any shows, recently or in your lifetime, that you remember as a special concert?

London.

The debut of Smile?

Yeah, yeah.

I saw the documentary Beautiful Dreamer. It looked like a powerful performance. How was it, debuting that music?

It was a kick. I loved it.

Was there any song in particular you played and were very happy with?

Just all of them. All of them were good.

There's been talk about possibly reforming the Beach Boys next year to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

I don't know anything about that. I don't know.

Do you have a relationship with the other members right now?

No, I don't. Not really, no. I'm not really interested in them.

So you don't have plans to reunite for the 50th anniversary?

Right. No.

Are the original Smile studio sessions still coming out later this year?

Yeah, they are.

How do the original studio sessions differ from the Smile album you recorded in 2004?

They're not quite as good. They're just little bits, fragments, shorter pieces, 20-second pieces and 30-second pieces.

Is there anything on there you're looking forward to the public hearing for the first time?

Not really, no.

Are you excited to release it?

Yeah. I think people will like it.

How did you feel about releasing Smile in 2004?

I thought it was a kick. I was thrilled.

The other Beach Boys' initial dislike of Smile led to a troubled period in your life. How does it feel to hear those initial studio recordings today?

Well, it kind of brings back a bad memory because I like the music but we took drugs during those times, and that's the bad memory of it all.

A bad memory? How so?

It made my head feel cloudy, you know? Dizzy. As I was taking them.

Your friend, journalist Michael Vosse, said that he thinks your drug use has been wrongly blamed as a main reason for your post-Smile nervous breakdown. Do you agree with that?

Yeah.

You do think your drug use has been misunderstood?

Yeah. I don't know, I can't really answer that question.

What song in your career left you feeling most satisfied after you had written it?

"God Only Knows." It's just a good love song. I like it.

When you come to New York, are there any places you're looking forward to visiting?

Central Park.

What can we expect from your concerts in New York?

Gershwin songs and Beach Boy classics.

In the documentary Beautiful Dreamer, you said that you were worried about how Smile would be received, just as Gershwin was worried about "Rhapsody in Blue"'s debut in Paris. Do you still have those concerns for Smile's release?

Yeah, yeah I do. I feel nervous. I'm not sure, I don't know if it's going to sell or not. I really don't know if it's going to sell or not. If it sells good, I'm hoping people like it. That's all I can say.

Have you talked to the other Beach Boys about its release?

No, not at all.

Was it your decision to release it?

Right.

Smile, of course, has been a long time coming since you recorded it. Why did you decide to finally release those sessions this year?

Ah, I don't know. I just thought it was time to do it, you know.

Pet Sounds was inspired by the Beatles' Rubber Soul. The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was inspired by Pet Sounds. Which artists have inspired your recent works—the Gershwin album, That Lucky Old Sun?

No one's inspired it. We inspired ourselves to do it.

And you worked with Van Dyke Parks for That Lucky Old Sun.

Right, I worked with him. He's a great writer. Great.

How was it to work with him again after some time apart?

It was quite a thrill. It really was. I had a good time.

VILLAGE VOICE contains a VERY brief interview with Brian Wilson. Most of the article deals with the writer's relationship with her father and a previous call with Brian Wilson that involved some snafus. Here's an even shorter excerpt from the already short interview.

Q: How do the original studio sessions of Smile (coming out this year) differ from the Smile album you recorded in 2004?

A: They're not quite as good. They're just little bits, fragments, shorter pieces, 20-second pieces and 30-second pieces.

AQUARIUM DRUNKARD I'm fairly certain that the video footage used in this fan made video is from the “Beach Boys 1968 European Tour" film directed by David Morse. Additional details about this film can be found on this previous blog.

VANCOUVER SUN
Q: How are you feeling today? What's the mood?

A: Very good. I'm doing interviews.

Q: Do you still get nervous before concerts? Or have you learned some tricks for handling the butterflies?

A: I do get nervous, but by the time the show starts, I feel better.

Q: You've said Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was the first record you ever heard. Does it come more naturally for you to play Gershwin than the old Beach Boys tunes?

A: It comes naturally to do the Gershwin tunes. I love George's songs.

Q: What is it that makes his music unique?

A: Rhythm, the orchestrations. I really don't know.

Q: You write of your own history with drug abuse and mental illness in your 1990 memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice. How do you think you'll be judged by history?

A: I think as a musical genius, probably.

Q: That's a good answer. And will this current crop of shows add to that legacy?

A: The more we practise, the better we get.

Q: What's a perfect Brian Wilson Saturday afternoon?

A: A lot of exercising. Walking around the park. It keeps your mind healthy and keeps your brain clear. I exercise every day. I take walks.

Q: What music's playing on your perfect day?

A: "Let It Be" by The Beatles and "Be My Baby" by Phil Spector.

Q: How do those songs make you feel?

A: Happy. I get a warm glow.

Q: Do you ever get out to the movies? Your daughters Carnie and Wendy have a pretty great cameo in the new movie, Bridesmaids.

A: I don't go to the movies. I don't like them that much.

Q: Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin reached No. 1 on the jazz charts. How did you celebrate?

A: We didn't celebrate, but we felt a glow.

Q: What do you see when you look out from the stage?

A: Happiness and curiosity.

Q: Curiosity? That's an interesting word choice. How so?

A: I can't explain it.

Q: People are curious to see you?

A: It's a thrill, the interaction between the artist and the audience. I love the energy.

Q: I'm your last interview of the day. How will you spend the rest of your afternoon?

A: I have to go to the studio and work with a friend of mine on a song by Buddy Holly, but I can't remember the title.

Q: What was it that made the Beach Boys so great?

A: I fool around with harmonies. I think harmonies are great to do.

VILLAGE VOICE In regards to a Beach Boys reunion, Brian Wilson says, "I don't know anything about that. I don't really [have a relationship with the other members] right now, and I'm not really interested in them."

BBC ""I'm considering it. I don't know yet, but I am considering it. Nothing's really holding me back. I just don't know if I want to be around those guys, you know? They're zany guys. They're crazy."

And here's the audio of the interview.

BANANASTAN official website for Van Dyke Parks' Bananastan Records and information on 7" Singles Series by Van Dyke Parks

According to PITCHFORK Van Dyke "Parks is readying a new series of 7" singles due out this summer on his own label, Bananastan."

Van Dyke Parks is quoted as saying, "At this point, I don't have an album in me. But I have some songs, so I'm putting out them out as 45 rpm stereo records this summer. The guys asked me if I wanted a small hole or a big hole on the record, and I said, 'Give me a big hole.' He said, 'They're cheaper.' I said, 'Good.' [laughs] To mark my regard for the record business, I'm putting out vinyl. I've had it with the CD; I'll never do another CD. But what I really miss in this digitized nightmare is that we've been fooled-- it's just lo-fi, man. I don't know how anyone is going to find a way to improve the situation, but I want to go for the high fidelity and make work that doesn't have a shelf life of yogurt."

BILLBOARD "Capitol Records is planning to release the Beach Boys' great lost album, 'Smile,' later this year."

PITCHFORK

BILLBOARD also has an interview with engineer Mark Linett.

Let's celebrate a big legal victory for owners of promo CDs!

As a fan of promo CDs, I've been keeping an eye on a bogus lawsuit filed by UMG records against Troy Augusto. I've blogged about this lawsuit here and here. UMG claimed that Mr. Augusto violated UMG's copyrights by selling promo CDs through internet auctions. The federal district court sided with Mr. Augusto, and UMG appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Today, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision. The court found that:

"UMG dispatched the CDs in a manner that permitted their receipt and retention by the recipients without the recipients accepting the terms of the promotional statements ... UMG's transfer of unlimited possession in the circumstances present here effected a gift or sale within the meaning of the first-sale doctrine, as the district court held ... Because the record here is devoid of any indication that the recipients agreed to a license, there is no evidence to support a conclusion that licenses were established under the terms of the promotional statement ... Accordingly, we conclude that UMG's transfer of possession to the recipients, without meaningful control or even knowledge of the status of the CDs after shipment, accomplished a transfer of title."

The full decision can be found here.

What this means, is that once they leave the record company, promo CDs can be traded, sold, transferred, destroyed, auctioned, bartered, etc. just like any other CD one might obtain. This is an important win for the "first sale doctrine."

Here is the Electronic Frontier Foundations's press release (EFF helped to defend Mr. Augusto):
EFF

Here are a few reports of the decision:
COURTHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
ARS TECHNICA
LA TIMES

There are still a few legal maneuvers UMG could take to try to revive their frivolous lawsuit. UMG could try a motion for reconsideration by the three judge panel. Or, UMG could try for en banc review by a larger panel of Ninth Circuit judges. If those don't work, their last resort is to ask the Supreme Court to review the case. However, in all likelihood, this is the end of the road for UMG. This was a completely bogus lawsuit that never should have seen the inside of a courthouse. UMG should just suck it up, take the loss, and move on.

Here we have the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Promo CD Extravaganza: Official Centralized Information Center

The highs, the lows, the good, the bad and the ugly of collecting Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Promo CDs.

Links to a complete 14 volume set of blogs about the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Promo CDs that I was able to acquire during the peak of my Beach Boys/Brian Wilson Promo CD obsession. These 14 blogs were posted from June 29, 2009 through April 3, 2010.

Introduction
A Celebration of Brian Wilson’s SMiLE
Gettin’ In Over My Head
Maverick Radio Networks Presents: Brian Wilson – Gettin’ In Over My Head Radio Special
Pacific Ocean Blue + Bambu
Update
What I Really Want For Christmas
Good Vibrations CD Single Deluxe Packaging
The Platinum Collection
Light in the Attic Records 2009 Sampler
That Lucky Old Sun
Love and Mercy (LP Version)
Imagination- Words + Music (Black & White version)
Trifecta Conclusion: Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE/Beautiful Dreamer CD/Imagination- Words and Music (color version)
Legal Victory

LA TIMES "Although the album is [Brian] Wilson's way of sharing his affection for the Gershwins' legacy, for pop aficionados it offers up a meeting of distinct voices in American music from strikingly different eras and locales: the Gershwins inextricably linked with the bustling New York metropolis of the 1920s and '30s, Wilson with sunny Southern California in the '60s."

NY TIMES "What do George Gershwin and the Beach Boys’ prime mover, Brian Wilson, have in common? A jaunty, exuberant tunefulness for one thing, and a desire to push pop into high-art territory for another. In 'Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin,' Mr. Wilson dresses Gershwin tunes in surfer attire. With varying degrees of success he turns the melodies into post-Beach Boys pop with stacked harmonies performed in a barbershop tradition that erases vocal individuality for the sake of a creamy harmonic blend. The best cut is a pulsing, bouncy 'They Can’t Take That Away From Me,' in which Mr. Wilson sounds like a child in the throes of puppy love jumping for joy. 'I’ve Got a Crush on You,' garnished with piano triplets, is taken back to the happy days of early rock ’n’ roll. An instrumental 'I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’' is the best section of a four-song medley from 'Porgy and Bess' that also includes 'Summertime,' 'I Loves You, Porgy' and 'It Ain’t Necessarily So.' The arrangement, featuring banjo, harmonicas and several percussion instruments, evokes lazy 1930s summer afternoons shuffling down a dirt road, fishing rod in hand. The medley’s embarrassing low point, 'I Loves You, Porgy,' sung by Mr. Wilson, feebly trying for melodrama, demonstrates the overall uninterest in lyrics on an album in which the arrangement, not the singer, does the interpretive work. Two beyond-the-grave 'collaborations' — obscure minor Gershwin tunes outfitted with wispy lyrics by Mr. Wilson and the instrumentalist Scott Bennett — are throwaways. Then there’s 'I Got Rhythm,' arranged as a trudging surf-style anthem with martial syncopation. A similar approach to the song was taken by the Happenings, whose hit version in 1967 had a fluency and lightness that is missing in this too self-conscious one. On an album that feels like a posthumous competition, Mr. Wilson emerges the clear loser. STEPHEN HOLDEN"

NY POST "Before he was one of the 20th century’s most revered pop legends — or even a Beach Boy writing hit songs about surfing, California girls and hot rods — Brian Wilson was listening to George Gershwin ... Now Wilson pays homage to the Jazz-age giant with a new album, 'Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin,' out Tuesday. While the symphonic nature of Gershwin’s arrangements and instrumentation didn’t work their way into Wilson’s early songs, it clearly marked later singles such as 'California Girls' and 'Good Vibrations.'"

HITFIX "Some albums arrive with such anticipation and weight that they crumble under their own expectations. There is no way that the whole of 'Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin,' out Tuesday, can be greater than the sum of its parts. The fact that some of it succeeds as well as it does given the breathy headiness surrounding the project (the Grammy word is already being tossed about), is an accomplishment of its own, but is it enough?"